Clemson Has the Firepower on Offense
Clemson's eye-popping, record-setting offensive campaign in 2018 was authored at the skill positions in large part by underclassmen. The group was led in passing by true freshman Trevor Lawrence (3,280 yards), in rushing by sophomore Travis Etienne (1,658) and in receiving by sophomore Tee Higgins (59 receptions, 12 touchdowns) and freshman Justyn Ross (1,000 receiving yards).
Clemson was one of only three FBS programs to produce a 3,000-yard passer, 1,500-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in 2018 and one of only 20 teams (including only nine Power Five teams) to accomplish the feat this decade.
By virtue of Lawrence, Etienne and Tee Higgins each reaching their respective thresholds this season, Clemson became the first program this decade to produce a player in all three categories in back-to-back seasons.
Entering bowl season, Clemson is the only school with a 3,000/1,500/1,000-yard passing/rushing/receiving trio in 2019. As noted by ESPN, the 2019 Tigers were the first team to return its leading passer, rusher and receiver from a national championship squad since 2010, when Alabama returned leading passer Greg McElroy, leading rusher Mark Ingram and leading receiver Julio Jones from its 2009 championship squad.
OFFENSIVE BALANCE
During Clemson's active 28-game win streak, the Tigers have featured remarkable offensive balance. Prior to last year's College Football Playoff National Championship Game that dropped Clemson to 248.2 rushing yards per game for the season, Clemson's 2018 squad had been the first team in Clemson history to average at least 250 yards per game rushing and passing. Only three Clemson teams in history have averaged at least 200 yards per game of each in the same season (2000, 2015 and 2018).
This year, Clemson is one of only three teams to average 250 rushing yards and 250 passing yards per game, with the other two being two of Clemson's fellow College Football Playoff participants — Ohio State and Oklahoma. Of Clemson's 7,120 total yards this season, 46.2 percent of its yards have come on the ground, with 53.8 percent coming through the air. Clemson has broken the 3,000-yard mark both rushing and passing this season, making the 2019 campaign only the third 3,000/3,000 season in school history (2015 and 2018).
Clemson has exceeded both 200 passing yards and 200 rushing yards in a game 51 times under Dabo Swinney, posting a perfect record in those contests. Clemson's 17 such games since the start of the 2018 season are the most in the country.
